Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Just wanted you to know I pray daily for all the members of the Cross My Heart Prayer Team. Also for all those who read my stories and all the wonderful folks I meet in my travels.Do you have a special prayer request? Add it in the comment section so I can lift up your intentions to the Lord.God loves you. So do I!Wishing you abundant blessings,Debby

Monday, April 15, 2013

I just received the go-ahead
from my Love Inspired Suspense editor, Emily Rodmell, on the proposal for the
sixth book in my Military Investigations Series. The story—untitled at this
point--features a heroine in the US Army Criminal Investigation Division who
grew up Amish. I’m thrilled Emily liked the idea and excited about including
some of my past experiences with the Amish in the story.

My dad was career army and we
lived in numerous spots around the country, but he and my mother were
originally from Ohio,
and I graduated from The Ohio State University. Often during college, friends
and I would head to PlainCity, an Amish community not far from Columbus, to enjoy the
wonderful restaurants that featured favorite Amish delights.

Sometimes we'd head farther north into Holmes
County that boasts of having one
of the largest Amish communities in the US. Picturesque farms dot the
rolling hills, and we’d pass horse drawn buggies on the way to local dairies that sold
cheese and ice cream, which provided special treats on a hot summer’s day and a
lovely escape from campus life.

After marrying, my hubby and
I lived in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where I’d shop at the nearby
Amish farmers’ market stocked with local produce and fresh baked pies and
breads. Often we’d drive to LancasterCounty, in the heart of Pennsylvania
Dutch country, with favorite stops at Intercourse and Bird-in-Hand. Visiting
Zook’s Fabric store was fun. On one trip, my husband bought a straw hat, and I
found a lovely hand stitched slip for my youngest daughter.

As you know, the Amish speak Pennsylvania
Dutch, a derivative of the German language. My great-grandparents came from Fulda, and my husband and I lived in Germany for
three years. I became quite fluent in German while there. Hearing the Amish dialect reminds me
of my time in Deutschland and makes
me feel a certain kinship with the Amish.

Doing research and pulling information from my past for
this next book has been so much fun, but now I need to write the story. I’ll
keep you posted on my progress in the days ahead.

Have you visited Amish
communities? What did you think of their plain
lifestyle? Do you enjoy reading Amish stories?

The General’s Secretary, book 4 in my Military Investigations
series, is available here. The Soldier’s Sister will be released in
October. Watch for the Amish story, book 6, in March 2014.

THE GENERAL'S SECRETARY

By Debby Giusti

Trusting the Wrong Person Can Be Deadly...

Lillie Beaumont's dark past has just turned up on her
porch--fatally wounded. The dying words of the man imprisoned for killing
Lillie's mother suggest hidden secrets. Criminal Investigations Division
special agent Dawson
Timmons agrees. He has his own motive for seeking the truth, and it gives Lillie
every reason to doubt him. But even as they reluctantly begin to face painful
secrets together, Dawson
fears that a murderer is waiting to strike again. And this time, Lillie is
right in the line of fire...